History Of My Heart
by Tiny Timb
Summary: Finally, the story of Timber DeMarco! The full history of the short newsgirl, from how her parents died, to why she loves firecrackers.
1. Once Upon a Rainy Day

January 15, 1971

"Can you tell me again why you packed _all _of your discs?" Anne asked, glancing back at her daughter in the rearview mirror.

Liz merely popped her gum at her mother and slouched in the seat beside her little brother. "Can _you _tell me why we're going all the way to Maine to visit great-grandma?" she smarted. "It's totally boring down there. She never lets me do anything."

Anne merely shook her head at her daughter and turned down the lane. "She's just trying to look out for you, that's all."

"Yeah, right." Liz laughed sardonically. "She's like a Nazi or something."

"You know, if you ask her to tell you about her past, you might find that you and your great-grandmother are an awful lot alike."

Liz rolled her eyes and looked out the window as they stopped at her great-grandmother's cabin. "Yeah. If I was a boring old lady."

"It's crazy to see how much these kids have grown," The old woman said from her cushy chair, gazing at her two great-grandchildren. "I haven't seen them since Lon was a baby, and Liz was just six. But look at her now, almost a woman." She shook her head.

Anne smiled at her grandmother. She could be a bit forgetful these days, but she still loved her. "You saw them at Christmas, two years ago." She stated.

The old woman raised a brow. "Oh? Did I?" With a heavy shrug, she settled back in her chair. "Oh well. They've still grown. You know how my brain works, Anne," She said with a sharp rap on her own skull. "It's got a mind of its own."

Anne merely shook her head at her grandmother and looked outside to check on her children. Of course, Lon was waiting on the front steps for his great-grandfather, and Liz was trying to do anything but. She never would stop trying to act cool, Anne thought of her daughter. Perhaps she just didn't understand yet.

A huge crack of thunder and a flash of lightening brought Anne out of her thoughts. Oh no, she thought. Now everyone was going to have to go inside to wait out the storm. _This should be interesting, _she thought with a sigh.

Liz pulled Lon in by his collar. "Granddad wouldn't want you all soaking wet, you idiot! Get in here before you drown out there!"

"Let me go!" Lon writhed, trying to get out of his sister's grip. Big sisters could be such a pain. "_Mom, _make her get off!" He whined. It was hard to be ten and have a stupid older sister boss you around.

Anne rubbed her temples. "Liz, let go of your brother. Lon, stop acting like a brat and sit down. Both of you sit down for a few minutes."

The siblings trudged over to the couch and moaned and groaned their displeasure at being cooped up inside. "At least there was something to do outside." Liz muttered.

The old woman shrugged. "Well, at least we still have electricity." She said brightly. About the same time as she said the word, the lights went out and all the electricity in the house flickered off with the next crack of thunder.

"Spoke too soon." The old woman muttered.

Anne looked outside. "Pop isn't going to be out for too much longer, is he?" She asked anxiously. "He's too old to be gallivanting around in a storm like this."

The old woman grinned. "Sure. Hell if I know when he'll be back. He still thinks the man has to provide everything, although I've tried for years to break him of that." She sighed. "Some men just can't be taught." Anne smiled again, relaxing a little.

Lon tossed a ball up in the air and caught it. "There's nothing to do. I'm bored." He complained.

"You're not the only one." Liz muttered from her spot on the couch.

Anne glanced over at them and sighed, looking to her grandmother for support. "Hey, Gran, why don't you tell us a story?"

The old woman, still limber in her old age, glanced up from the hearth where she was making a fire. "A story, hmm?" Getting back into her chair, the old woman thought about what to do and what to say.

Liz groaned. "This should be entertaining." She muttered.

Anne glared at her daughter. "Would you rather sit in darkness?" Liz merely scowled and looked away.

The old woman pursed her lips. "A story, hmm?" She repeated. Suddenly a mischievous smile crossed her face. "Alright, I've got one for you that is sure to impress all ears." She shifted in her chair. "Now, all of you pay attention, because I'm only gonna tell this once. Matter of fact, I don't think even you heard this, Anne, save for bits and pieces."

This caught Anne's attention, and made her furrow her brow. "Really?"

The old woman chewed on her lip. "Where to begin…"

"Well…the beginning's as good a place as any, I suppose." She continued. "It all starts with a couple. Mister Alfonse DeMarco from Little Italy, New York, and Miss Elise Ryan from Ireland."

"Like most couples, they met and married, and had children. The eldest was a boy named Michael; the next was a daughter named Andrianne, then a son named Noah, and last, a girl named Jesilyn. The following story is about the oldest daughter, Andrianne."

"In New York, there are a lot of gangs and there's a lot of organized crime. You know, just a bunch of fellahs who came over and now think that they're hot stuff. Well, anyway, Andrianne's parents were conned into getting a favor from these goons. A favor they didn't really want, mind you. It doesn't matter what it was, because all you need to know is that once they do you a favor, you have better pay them back, twofold."

_"Unfortunately, Andrianne's parents were not very well off, and couldn't afford to pay off the gang. Around the time that Andrianne was three, her life started to go downhill."_

August 12, 1886

The door almost burst off its hinges with the force of the fist on the other side. The pounding had been going on for over a half hour, yet the family inside knew that if they answered and admitted this particular visitor, they wouldn't see dawn.

"Put them in the bedroom! He'll see them there!" Alfonse hissed to his wife. "Hurry! They'll bust down the door at any minute!"

"Come on, honey." Elise tried to coax Andrianne from under the table. "We'll play a game of hide and seek, but you've got to hide really well, now, or they'll find you."

Andrianne shook her head and remained underneath the table, clinging to the leg. Even as a toddler, she knew something wasn't right. The door shook again. "Monster!" She cried, clinging tighter to the table leg.

Michael tried to pull at his sister. "Don't be stupid!" He muttered. "Come on!"

Then it was too late. The door was knocked in, and all Andrianne could see was the light turned out, and what looked like her parents and siblings settling down for a nap. It sounded like thunder in her home, and Andrianne hated storms.

She closed her eyes and waited for it to stop. !!

!! "Wait...her family died?" Lon asked, his mouth agape. "No way! She was like a little kid!"

The old woman nodded. "That's true, but whoever shot them didn't care if they were children or how young the family was. All they knew was money. If the entire family was killed off, then there wouldn't be any witnesses, and they wouldn't have to worry about it later."

"But they didn't kill them all off, did they?" Lon nodded at his logic. "Because the little girl lived."

The old woman grinned. "That's right. It'd be a pretty short story otherwise, wouldn't it?"

"So what happened next?" Liz blurted before she could stop herself. The old woman raised a brow.

"So you're interested, hmm?"

Liz looked away. "I mean…I might as well know everything if I'm going to be forced to listen to this." She muttered. The old woman shook her head with a knowing smile and continued.

"It didn't take long for the police and the press to find out about this, but of course, that type of killing was old news. It happened all the time supposedly. So when they found the little girl huddled under the table crying for her mother, they did the only thing they could do." !!

_"They send her straight to an orphanage." _

Andrianne didn't like this policeman. She understands that was what he was, because her father had taught her to identify people by uniforms and outfits. This policeman smelled funny, and his hands were really rough and they held her little hand too tightly, as if afraid that she might run off.

She might have been only three years old, but she wasn't stupid. And she was thinking highly of slipping through his grasp and making a run for it.

The woman who stood in front of her wasn't much better in the smell category. She reminded Andrianne of the evil stepmother her own mother told her about in one of her fairy tales.

_Where is momma?_

"Look, in a year or so she can work at the mill, and you won't have to worry about supporting her. Just let her stay here and maybe some poor soul will pick her up." The policeman said to the woman.

The woman, known as Ms. Lanning because no man had had the courage to marry her, sniffed her unusually long nose. "I suppose. But only if she'll work in the mill. I can't have anyone not doing their share of the work."

The policeman rolled his eyes visibly. "Sure, sure, whatever you say. Just take her so I can get on with my life, okay?" After handing Andrianne over, he shoved his hands in his pockets with a few curses under his breath and walked away.

Ms. Lanning looked down at Andrianne with beady eyes. For some reason now, Andrianne thought of a bird. A mean bird, perhaps.

"I suppose you'll want food, too." She rasped. "Come along then. You'll need to wash up first. I can't have you smelling up the place."

!!How's that for my first installment? I think I have something, ladies and gents. Please review! I'll love you even more!!


	2. Lashes and Protectors

!! I hope you like this story as much as I do. Honestly, I'm really excited about it, because I have all these ideas popping up…but you didn't need to know that. Anyway, thanks for reading this far, and I know this is a story about my character, but don't be surprised when you see a familiar name from NML or something on here. Whatever…ONWARD! WHOOT!!

May 12, 1893

Andrianne leaned back on her heels and wiped her brow and looked around the factory. What a horrid, dark place this was, she thought to herself. Maybe this was what the old people called Hell. With bad lighting, horrible smells, and suffocating heat, it was no wonder why they called The Mill hell.

This wasn't any mill, she thought bitterly. That was the cover-up so the police wouldn't find anything bad.

"Not that they would give a damn anyway," Andrianne muttered to herself, testing the curse word. She liked how it sounded, and intended to keep using it.

Andrianne stood up and brushed at her pants to relieve them of dust and dirt, but to no avail. Giving up on their looks, she pulled her pants up even though they would slide down again, being too big for her.

"Aidan, your pants are too big." She complained to her close friend. Aidan Connelly was twelve and two years Andrianne's senior, and thought that that fact made him boss.

Aidan, even as a boy, tended to attract too much attention with his looks. Dark blonde hair fell into Aidan's blue-green eyes as he worked, and he tried hard to ignore the little girl behind him. Finally turning around, he fingered the penny on a chain around his neck and leaned against the machine he was working on.

"Sounds like a personal problem to me," He said after a moment of surveying the issue, and started to turn back around.

"You can be really mean when you want to be." She muttered, going back to her machine. Suddenly, a cracking sound joined the din of the factory, along with the agonized screams of a child. Andrianne stiffened at the sound.

Andrianne had never really thought about anyone but herself; she simply hadn't had to, but every time she heard that cracking sound, she felt like she could explode with a sense of justice.

For some reason, Ms. Lanning, who ran the factory with her brother, Charles, felt that it was acceptable to whip someone if something wasn't done properly. Andrianne was glad that she hadn't felt the sting of the whip yet, but she pitied the poor soul who'd bear its scars.

"It's Henry." Aidan stated to her, obviously tense at the sound as well. His irish accent was thicker than usual, signaling his inner distress. "I recognize that voice."

"Should someone do something about it?" She whispered, more to herself than to him.

Aidan merely snorted. "Not unless you wanna get whipped, too." He patted her back. "I'd get back to work if I were you. You don't want to get in trouble." He turned back to his own work, leaving her to her own thoughts of right and wrong.

"What do you think she used?" Andrianne asked him. "The regular or the Cat?"  
Aidan pursed his lips. Finding no other game, the children of the factory often bet on the brand of whip or amount of trouble another had caused. Aidan was usually right.

"Depends on what he did, and what type of mood Charles is in," he said finally. "If it's nothing major, then he probably only got a few with the regular. But if he did something bad, or Charles is in a particularly nasty mood…I'd say he'd go for the Cat-o'-nine-tails."

The Cat was a whip with nine lashes and lead pellets at the ends. Very few of the children who worked at The Mill had seen or felt it, but of those who had…needless to say they didn't do a whole lot anymore. !!

!! "Whoa, hold on a second." Lon leaned forward. "They whipped them? Like…_whipped_ them?" he asked horrified.

The old woman nodded solemnly. "It happened more often than you'd think, Lon. It was just how things were done. Kids didn't have rights back then, especially lower class and workers."

"That's horrible!" Anne gasped. "Didn't the police do anything about it?"

The old woman laughed. "Why would they? There was no money in it for them if they did so." She said, swinging her legs back and forth. "But anyway…

"Andrianne had been glad so far that she hadn't had to taste the whip, regular or otherwise." !!

"_Until one day…"_

June 3, 1894

Andrianne cracked her neck, wishing for another break of some kind. She felt weaker than normal. Whether it was due to the heat, or lack of food in her belly, or both, she didn't know.

Aidan tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, I found something for you to do on your next break."

"Oh, you mean next year?"

"Shut up." Aidan held it out to her, and Andrianne merely stared at the strand of red tubes.

"Firecrackers?" She asked. "You got me firecrackers?"

Aidan rolled his eyes. "A 'thanks' would suffice."

**_"Oh…so that's how she got firecrackers!" Lon said, proud of himself._**

_**"Yeah..."**_

_**"I knew it. I've heard that part before."**_

_**"Good, you're very smart. Now shut up."**_

"Andy! Hey, Andy!"

Andrianne turned at the familiar voice and came face to face with Henry, another close friend of hers.

"Hey, Henry, what's up?"

Henry Martin, even though he was also older than Andrianne by almost three years, tended to not be one of the most courageous people in the world. He was also quite scrawny, and it looked as though he was actually younger than her. His blue eyes were anxious.

"Well…I wanted to say thanks for covering for me the other day." Henry said honestly. "I still hurt from the last time they whipped me."

Andrianne shrugged at him. "I just didn't want to hear you scream like a girl anymore." She joked. "Besides, you _did _bring me back some ice, so I think we're square." She turned back around when a supervisor walked towards them.

"Ms. Lanning wants to speak to you, kid." He said gruffly.

Andrianne looked around. "I don't see anyone named Kid around here." She smarted.

The supervisor wasn't pleased with that answer, and he grabbed her up by her arm and nearly dragged her the entire way to the office.

Aidan looked up from his work and paled visibly. _Oh no…please don't whip her…_

_**"Did they whip her?!" Lon asked suddenly**_

_**"Do you want to hear this or not?"**_

_**Lon snapped his jaw shut and sat back.**_

Andrianne looked around at the dark, dank office. It smelled just like Ms. Lanning, and was so dusty; one of the cabinets was nearly grey with the distracting stuff. _You'd think that such a neat freak would dust her own cabinets, _Andrianne thought.

She spun around when the door opened, as if she was caught doing something wrong. Ms. Lanning stared down her abnormally large nose at her and sniffed disdainfully.

"I've heard rumors about you, Miss DeMarco." Ms. Lanning rasped, sitting behind the dusty desk. Andrianne guessed that it must have been Charles' office, by the way Ms. Lanning stiffened at the sight of dust.

"Rumors, huh?" Andrianne said, folding her arms and tapping her chin with one finger. "Rumors are rumors, Ms. Lanning." She said innocently. "And those who believe them clearly have too much time on their hands." Andrianne knew that it was probably unhealthy to be developing such a smart mouth, but she couldn't help it. Ms. Lanning was bringing out the worst in her.

Ms. Lanning's eyes sharpened at the implication. "Indeed." She murmured. Taking a handkerchief from her sleeve, Ms. Lanning began to dust off the desk. "I've heard, Miss DeMarco," She emphasized the title, knowing how much Andrianne was beginning to hate it, "that you are helping certain children escape for periods of time throughout the day. You also cover for them later, saying that they were sick or using the bathroom."

Her eyes met Andrianne's as sharply as if she had stabbed her with a knife. "Is any of this untrue?"

Andrianne pretended to think about it. She enjoyed taunting the evil old bat, and found that she was also developing quite the acting routine. Or maybe she was just getting good at lying. Whatever way you looked at it.

'Miss DeMarco, I asked you a question." Ms. Lanning rasped sharply.

Andrianne's smirk was barely visible. "Maybe I did and maybe I didn't." She said with a sickeningly sweet smile. "I guess you'll never know."

"Who have you been letting escape?" She demanded. When Andrianne kept her silence and her defiant stare, Ms. Lanning called for her brother and got down the whip box. Andrianne's eyes widened.

Charles walked over to the desk and observed the whips in front of him. As he grabbed one, Andrianne protested violently.

"What for?!" She shouted as she was shoved to the ground.

"For disobedience and insubordination!" Ms. Lanning turned away with a huff and sat back behind the desk. It was as if she was entertained by the whole scene. Andrianne could just imagine her as a vulture, just barely waiting for its prey to bleed to death before pouncing.

Charles untied the Cat and loosened his neck, preparing to strike. Ms. Lanning sat forward. "Would you like to tell me who you've let escape _now?_" she asked.

Andrianne swallowed and glared daggers at the woman in front of her. "I'm no rat." She growled. Ms. Lanning shrugged and sat back again, signaling for her brother to carry on. Charles shrugged as well, and let the whip's lashes fly.

Andrianne had known pain. She'd been in fights, she'd broken bones, and she'd had gashes from working at the machine, but she never thought it could be like this. She felt nauseous even as she screamed. She felt as if she couldn't breathe. And long before Ms. Lanning held up her hand for her brother to stop, Andrianne had slipped into a dark abyss and passed out.!!

!! "Andrianne."

She wanted to shake her head _No. I want more sleep, _she thought, trying to ignore the voice. _Who the heck keeps moving me. Leave me alone…_

"Andrianne!"

She recognized the voice. But from where? As she slowly regained consciousness, pain began to turn her stomach. She cried out.

"She's alive, thank God." Aidan said, holding her still. "Andy, you gotta stop moving so much or you'll hurt yourself more. Your back isn't healed yet."

Andrianne could barely understand what he said, but she laid still and tried not to make a sound. Opening her eyes, she peered around and saw that she was laying on her stomach.

Aidan had her hand and was looking at the doctor that Ms. Lanning had called in. He was extremely outraged at the woman. The only reason she had called the doctor in was because Andrianne had been out for weeks, and there was no one as small as she was to run her machine. The old broad had even told the doctor that "Miss DeMarco has had an accident in the factory, and the machine ripped her back apart."

He was glad that he had seen doubt in the doctor's eyes.

The doctor stood as he finished the last of the bandaging. "She should stay in bed for another few days." He suggested. "If she moves too much right now, her wounds will reopen, and sadly, I don't think she can afford to lose that much more blood."

Ms. Lanning's frown only added to her bird-like features. "Of course. I understand. Thank you for coming." She said, shaking his hand as he left. She looked down at Andrianne and sniffed again. "I suppose you think that you're getting out of work for a while. You'll have one more day of rest, and then you're back on your feet and on your machine. We've lost enough money as it is."

Aidan glared at her. "The doctor just said she couldn't afford to lose any more blood. What if she dies?"

"Then I'll have to find another worker, then, won't I?" Ms. Lanning turned on her heel and stalked off. "You have work to do, Mr. Connelly."

"What a bitch!" Aidan snarled and looked down at Andrianne. He leaned down so only she could hear. "You're not working here anymore." He shook his head. "I won't let you. After you can get up again, you're gonna run away and hopefully find somewhere else to live. You could die here." He said, sitting back.

Andrianne blinked slowly at him. "So could you." She rasped.

Aidan gave a small smile. "Hey, remember who you're talking to. I'm invincible." He teased, only as an older brother could. He looked out the window, wiser than his almost fourteen years should allow. "Tomorrow I'll come up with a plan. I'll get you out of here." He squeezed her hand and got up, walking back to the mill. !!

!! "I'm thirsty." The old woman said suddenly, getting up and walking to the kitchen. Poking her head out, she asked, "Anyone else want anything?"

"You're just gonna leave it like that?" Liz asked, almost embarrassed that she was interested into the story. The old woman merely smiled.

"I told you I'm thirsty." She shrugged and went back into the kitchen. "If I'm going to tell you any more, I don't need a dry throat." !!

!! How's that for my next installment? I kind of got thirsty myself, now that I've written about it. While I get myself a drink, go ahead and review and give me feedback!!


	3. Alone Again

Setting her drink on the table, the old woman hopped into her chair again. "Now, where was I?" She asked, a puzzled look on her face.

"Andrianne had just gotten whipped and Aidan told her that she wasn't working there anymore…" Anne prodded.

The old woman waved her hand to stop her and nodded in recognition. "Right, right." Leaning back in her chair she smiled at her listeners. She'd always loved telling stories and she was used to being the center of attention.

"Let's see…well," Smoothing out her pant leg, the old woman thought about where to pick it up. "Within a few days, Andrianne was able to move-well, more than she had been able to before, - and Aidan began working on getting her out of there. The only problem was-…"

_**"…She didn't like the solution."**_

"Andy…"

"No way, Connelly. I refuse."

"Come _on! _Everything's all set up!" Aidan said, practically chasing Andrianne around the bunkroom. "Look," he started, tossing her things into a burlap bag, "He's my older brother. I trust him with my life!"

"That doesn't mean you have to trust him with _mine._" Andrianne pointed out, taking her things right back out of the bag while his back was turned.

Aidan blew random strands of hair out of his eyes, frustrated at the female in front of him. "Andrianne…this is my older brother we're talking about. I've known the guy my whole life-…"

"Oh, nah, really?" She said sarcastically, clutching her things to her chest as he made a grab for them.

He chose to ignore her comment. "Ben is a very reliable guy. He promised to take care of you, provided that you keep your job that he gets you, and promises to protect you at all costs."

"And I'm supposed to believe him?"

"Come on, you've met Ben, remember?"

"Why else do you think I don't want to go?" She muttered, looking down at her things and nearly pouting. "If he's so great, then why are you still here instead of with him?"

"It's complicated." Aidan sighed when she refused to budge. "Andy, please…" He walked up to her. "You're like my little sister. I promise nothing bad will happen to you." He held his hand out expectantly.

With another look at her belongings she slowly handed them over, ending the dispute. "Fine." She mumbled, crossing her arms. "But I won't like it."

Aidan shrugged. "You won't mind it so much after a while." Handing the bag to her, he climbed out of the window, motioning for her to follow.

Below in an alley, stood the disputed elder brother, smoking a cigarette. _Great, _Andrianne thought, _I'm gonna be stuck with this idiot for a few years. _About the same time she thought the insult, Ben had turned around. His eyes surveyed the two of them, and lingered on Andrianne.

He was a little different than she remembered him. He was older, about three years older, in fact. Ben looked a lot like an older version of Aidan; almost a replica, save for the fact that his hair was a little darker. He had a presence, alright. Andrianne knew that if she had a chance to walk by him in an alley, she'd find another route. He had a don't-mess-with-me air about him.

"So this is little Andy." He said, his Irish accent thicker than his younger brother's. Blowing a stream of smoke in their direction, he walked towards them. Andrianne stepped back so she wouldn't have to crane her neck to see his face. Ben seemed to find this amusing, because the corners of his mouth twitched upward. "I expected you to be bigger, from how much Aidan talks about you."

Ben looked at his little brother and reached out to muss his hair as Aidan blushed and pushed the hand away.

'What exactly's gonna happen?" Andrianne demanded. She hated being kept in the dark, and felt slightly uneasy around Ben even as her stomach flip-flopped when he looked her in the eyes. Probably disgust, she told herself.

Ben took another drag on his cigarette, and then tossed it to the ground, crushing it out with his toe. "Well, technically I don't _have _to make anything happen. I just can't resist my brother's desperate cries for help when they arise."

'Stop being an ass and tell her what's going on." Aidan scolded. Ben grinned at his brother and shrugged.

"Well…first I'm taking you back to the house where you can settle." Ben said, crossing his arms as if he were bored by the whole thing. "The next day, I'll teach you the tricks of the trade and you'll go 'round town with me and the boys."

"I'm supposed to be part of your _gang_?!" She asked incredulously.

Ben raised a brow at her. "What else would you be doing?" He and Andrianne both cast accusing glances at Aidan, who carefully averted his gaze. "You didn't tell her?"

"I figured you would…"Aidan muttered.

Andrianne glared at Aidan again. "What exactly will I be doing?" She nearly snarled.

Ben shrugged. "Whatever I tell you to do."

"And how is this different than working here?!" She demanded. "Sounds pretty much the same to me."

"Sure. Guarantees on food every meal, less chance of getting killed, money to actually go in your pocket, and a bed that isn't under a leaky roof." Ben shrugged. "Sure sound the same to me." Sarcasm dripped from his words. "Are you gonna do this or not?"

Aidan looked at Andrianne and pleaded with his eyes. "Please?" He asked. "This is your only chance. I won't let you go back."

Andrianne was taken aback by the sudden intensity of Aidan's eyes. Boys were so weird. Heaving a great sigh, she knew he had won.

"Fine." She mumbled.

"Great. I'm honored." Ben rolled his eyes. "Can we leave sometime today? Just wondering."

"Are you always an ass?" Andrianne asked innocently.

"Only on days of the week that end in the word 'Day'." Ben replied with a careless lift of his shoulder. His eyes growing soft suddenly as he looked at his little brother, Ben's mouth lifted into a smile. "See you later, little brother." Needing the moment of closeness, he squeezed his brother's shoulder, and then flicked his head down the alley, expecting Andrianne to follow him as he began to walk.

Andrianne, still watching Ben's retreating back stubbornly, snarled at Aidan. "I oughta pummel you." She directed at him. Aidan rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's for the best, right?" Aidan pointed out.

Andrianne, mollified for the time being, glanced at him. "So am I gonna-…"

"Do you honestly think I'll leave you alone for long?" Aidan asked, interrupting her. Giving her a reassuring smile, he wrapped her in a one-armed hug and walked back towards the fire escape without looking back.

Andrianne suddenly felt very alone. Mustering up her courage and the stubbornness that had kept her alive thus far, she ran after Ben who was already at the end of the alley and glaring back at her impatiently. !!

!! "Did she ever see Aidan again?" Liz asked. "You said that like he knew they weren't going to see each other…"

"Andrianne didn't know if they would." The old woman said vaguely. "New York's a big place, and she had no idea where she would end up, not to mention that there was always a chance that Ms. Lanning and her brother could kill Aidan if his machine didn't do it for them."

"What did Ben's gang make her do?" Anne asked. "It wasn't anything…horrible…was it?"

"You mean did they make her stand on a corner or something like that? Nah, it wasn't that bad…

_**"…They just taught her how to steal."**_

July 3, 1894

"…You're kidding, right?"

"Will you just trust me? Just for once?"

"Not on your life."

Ben held the bridge of his nose. He'd taken care of Andrianne for over a month, yet he still couldn't seem to get her to understand him. And she was beginning to try his patience, and Ben was _not _a patient guy.

"Just _try _it." Ben said through clenched teeth. "I'm here to bail you out if something happens."

"Isn't there something else I can do? Like steal food or something?" She asked, peering out of the alleyway. She was uneasy about the whole thing from the first moment she'd learned about it.

"No, now hurry up before you completely drive me insane."

"Well if you're so impatient, why don't you show me how it's done?" She demanded, folding her arms.

Ben glared at her. "Fine." Walking brazenly out of the alleyway, he shoved his hands in his pockets with her. "Pick someone out for me." He murmured.

Andrianne looked around at the people around her. "The guy in the bowler hat and blue shirt. He's crossing the street." She whispered. Ben looked casually around and smirked.

"Easy." He gloated. Turning around, he looked both ways to avoid getting run into, and plowed across the street, appearing to not be paying attention. He collided with the man.

"Whoa, sorry mate." He apologized. "My fault." The man glared at him from under the shade of his bowler hat, but merely grunted at him and shuffled along across the street.

Ben slowly walked back to where Andrianne stood and brandished the wallet. "See?" He said. "It's easy. Now you try it."

Andrianne chewed on her bottom lip and nervously tugged at her left earlobe; something that was becoming a habit for her when she was nervous or confused.

"Okay." She breathed. Glancing around, she looked back at Ben. "Pick someone for me."

Ben glanced around and grinned. "Alright. This one's easy. Try the man with the umbrella." He gestured to an older gentleman.

Andrianne swallowed hard. "Okay." She croaked. "Here I go." Walking away from him, she mimicked his earlier movements with seemingly unceasing confidence. Merely a few minutes later, Andrianne slowly sauntered back to him and showed him the wallet.

Ben looked down at it. "By God, you _do _get it."

Andrianne smiled smugly. "I told you I did." She shrugged and pocketed the wallet. She jumped when she heard the whistle.

Ben grabbed her hand. "Time to go." He pulled her along after him as he ran down the alley. He soon let go and leaped over crates.

Andrianne couldn't help but look behind her. Huge men in police uniforms chased after them, shouting and waving their nightsticks. She cursed her short legs, and looked back just in time to trip over a crate and gash her leg. Blood trickled down her shin.

Ben looked back and groaned, running back for her. "You alright?" He asked, and put her arm around his shoulder and helped her run with him. They cut across another alley and slid into a shadowed alcove. Policemen sped past the alcove, still shouting and blowing their whistles.

"I never thought this type of thing really worked. Hmm." Ben shrugged and looked back at Andrianne. "That's a nasty cut there." He muttered, kneeling beside her to examine it.

Andrianne glared suspiciously at him. "Why did you do that?"

"Well it's got to be bandaged. You don't want to bleed everywhere do you?"

"I meant why did you come back for me?" She asked. "You had a chance to run and get away free and clear, but you came back. Why?"

Ben blew a stray lock of hair out of his eyes and looked up at her. "Because I made a promise to protect you. So that's what I'm doing." His smile was slow. "Besides, I got off free and clear, anyway. And that was with a cripple clinging to me."

Andrianne rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but return a small smile. She was beginning to see Ben in a new light. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all.

Ben gripped her hand and helped her back up, but held onto her for a moment. "Look, I know this'll sound really corny, but listen up." He demanded.

"Like I have a choice."

"Look kid, I mean it. I'm promising for real now. I promise to take care of you, no matter what. Alright?" Ben asked, but nodded soon after without an agreement. "Good. Now let's go. I'm starving." !!

!! "Well that didn't sound like it was too bad." Anne remarked. "She had someone to look after her and a means of support, even if the means weren't legal."

The old woman grinned at her granddaughter. "Always the optimist, hmm?"

Anne looked puzzled. "Why do you say it like that? Did something else happen?"

"Doesn't something else _always _happen?" The old woman said dryly. "It wouldn't be much of a story if it ended right there, now would it?"

"So what _did _happen since you're so eager to tell us?" Liz asked impatiently. The old woman merely raised a brow at her and leaned back in her chair.

"As always, nothing good ever lasts." She continued. "Within a year, Andrianne was accepted as just one of the guys. She was looked after as a little brother or sister might be, but she learned to be tough, and she did her fair share of the work." The old woman closed her eyes as if picturing the scene.

"Ben taught her to be a real actress, too. At one point she might pickpocket someone, and then act as if she was starving and beg for money. She also perfected what grown thieves couldn't…

_**"…The art of breaking and entering."**_

July 8, 1895

"Are you sure you're doing that right?"

"She's gonna fall."

"We're gonna get caught again."

"No, we're not. Have some faith in her, would ya?"

"Will you buffoons shut the hell up before you get me in trouble?" Andrianne hissed from her perch. She was currently prying a window open from the railing of the fire escape.

"Excuse me, but who was it that taught you how to do this in the first place?" Ben asked, arms crossed.

Andrianne peered down at him and smirked. "You only did that because you all are so big that you can't even fit through the fire escape."

"Are you calling us fat??" Theo, one of the stronger members, asked. Theo McCreedy was a big, lovable bear, despite his intimidating brawn. His light hair was always in his blue eyes, and he was always easily amused. But some of the members were secretly scared of him, because once properly provoked, Theo was a force to be reckoned with.

"Maybe." Andrianne muttered, finally prying the window open. She slowly lifted it up and placed a box under it to keep it open. "Alright." She hissed.

Ben motioned for the others to follow him as he climbed the fire escape. The Gang had been taught to move very stealthily, so even though they appeared to be massive, they made no bigger sound than a cat might as it lands on the carpet.

"Anything valuable." He murmured to remind them, sneaking past beds.

Andrianne emptied out jewelry chests and other items into a burlap bags that Theo held out for her. Ben lingered over a few necklaces and trinkets before deciding that they weren't valuable enough for him. He rolled his eyes at a few of the members.

"Mark, Donny, quit messing around and hurry up! We're here to take them, not try them on!" He shook his head as the two boys grudgingly put down the items.

Mark glanced over at something gleaming in the moonlight. "What have we here?" He murmured, walking over to a small golden trinket. "Looks like a music box."

"Don't touch it." Ben snapped. "We don't want anyone to wake up, you idiot."

Mark glared at Ben, but did as he was told. He never did like the fact that Ben was leader. He also didn't like the fact that Ben seemed to care for Andrianne more than any of the others. Mark had been there first, so why should the little squirt get all the attention?

Mark's eyes kept wandering back to the small music box. It looked pretty valuable, and it might get a fair price if he sold it. Glancing around, Mark slowly took hold of the small music box and started to put it in the bag.

A man in the next room sneezed and made them all nearly jump out of their skin. Mark dropped the music box, which tinkled its tune gleefully as it crashed on the ground.

"What the hell? Who's out there?"

"You idiot!" Ben hissed, his eyes murderous. "I told you not to touch it!"

"Come on let's go before he comes out!" Andrianne pulled on Ben's shirt and helped Theo with one of the bags as she climbed out of the window.

As soon as Andrianne had taken out the box and shut the window, all the lights in the house turned on. They ran down the alleyway to the sounds of shouting and outrage.

"If we move fast enough, they won't be able to track us." Theo remarked, barely panting as they ran into their hideout. Several members collapsed onto the floor, out of breath.

Mark set down his bag. "That was close." He said. Ben's eyes flashed as he grabbed Mark by the collar and shoved him against the wall.

"Ben, stop!"

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't bash your face in." He growled dangerously.

Mark merely glared back at him, and said nothing.

"Look, Ben, it was an accident. It could've happened to any of us." Theo reasoned, although he knew the truth.

Andrianne placed a hand on Ben's sleeve. "Let him go. I'm sure he didn't mean to…"She flicked her eyes in Mark's direction. "Do you really want to waste your energy? The Bulls can't find us here. We're the only ones who know about this place."

"Bullshit." Ben snapped, but he let Mark drop anyway. He took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down. He fixed his cold stare on Mark again. "If you want to challenge me, you'd better be ready to fight. Otherwise, if you question me again like that, I'll fucking kill you." He promised, and with that, he stormed off into another room.

Andrianne blew out a breath and looked at Mark again, who was brushing himself off as if the altercation hadn't been anything. Mark glared at her.

"I'm not going to thank you." He said and started to walk away.

Andrianne glared at his back. "Good. Maybe next time it'll be fun to watch him beat you to death." She turned on her heel and walked away in the other direction.

Theo glanced at Mark and shook his head ashamedly as he walked after Andrianne.

August 23, 1895

"I spy with my little eye…something…grey."

"The wall."

"Wow! You're good! Okay, let me try again. I spy with my little eye….something…stone…"

"Let me guess…the wall?"

"Boy, you're good at this game!" Theo looked over at Andrianne. "Alright, one more…"

Andrianne rubbed her eyes. "I'm predicting this….it's just a notion mind you…but could it be…the wall?"

"Whoa! You're like fucking _psychic!!"_ Theo exclaimed.

Andrianne merely lifted the arm draped over her eyes to squint at him. "You're kidding, right?" Rolling her eyes, she sat up when Ben walked into the room. "'Ey, Connelly, when are we ever gonna start doing some fun stuff? We've been cooped up in here for almost a week, and I think Theo's losin' it."

"Hey!" Theo protested. Theo was four years older than Andrianne, yet somehow he reminded her of a little brother.

Ben looked out the window. "I didn't want anybody going out. We almost got caught last time." He said. "But I've got some good news."

"They've burned all the dresses in the world?" She asked hopefully. Theo laughed.

"Not to my knowledge. You should look into wearing one, someday. But that's not my news." He hopped up onto a crate. "We have a new member."

The atmosphere lifted considerably as the gang took in this new information. "Who?" Donny asked, raising a brow. "I thought you said no more were allowed."

"Well, I'm making an exception." Ben said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "He should be here soon…" He glanced at his pocket watch, just as someone knocked.

The air was tense as they waited for the secret combination (which, in Andrianne's opinion, wasn't so secret; anyone could figure it out if they had brains).

Ben grinned, hearing four taps and a bang. Sliding the door open, he admitted the visitor.

The boy wasn't much older than Andrianne; maybe a year or so older. His dark blonde hair hung negligently in his eyes, and he didn't bother to push the strands away. He wore a smirk on his face, as if he was born confident and in-charge.

But his eyes… His eyes were what really got to Andrianne. They were a grey-blue, and very, _very _perceptive. They reminded her slightly of a hawk's eyes as they took everything in and waited patiently for something to move so he could attack. As she stood, they focused on her so quickly that she barely noticed them move at all. It made her really uncomfortable.

"Lady and Fags, this is our newest member, Flynn Conlon." Ben announced with a grin. Throwing a companionable arm around Flynn's shoulders, he gestured to the room. "Flynn, here's Donny in the arm chair. Mark's in the other room, Theo's on the first couch, and the girl there is Andrianne, or Andy." He said, pointing to the person with the name.

Flynn didn't give any indication that he knew or understood what Ben had said. His eyes merely narrowed as he held a silent glaring contest with Andrianne. As intimidating as the boy already was, she made up for it in stubbornness.

Ben, noticing the change in atmosphere, quickly decided to lighten the mood a little. "Supposedly he used to live with someone who gave him another nickname." He said, loud enough to draw attention to himself. "They called him Spot."

This made Andrianne blink. She was always a smart-ass and had developed her own signature smirk in the process. "Spot? Like a dog?" She smarted.

If looks could kill, Andrianne would be dead three times over from the glare Flynn sent her. She almost allowed herself to squirm under it.

"Well this is awkward." Theo remarked, getting up. "Can we go do something now before they kill each other?"

"They're barely fourteen and fifteen, what can they do?" Ben shrugged.

His thought was interrupted, however, when someone knocked on the door. Everyone in the house, including newcomer Flynn, knew well enough to shut their mouths and not move a muscle.

Hearing the combination again, Ben rolled his eyes and sighed with relief. "It's just Mark." He muttered, going over to the door.

All at once it happened; Big, bulky policemen wielded nightsticks as they burst through the hide-out. Ben was apprehended immediately and shoved to the ground. Donny pushed past and ran outside like the coward he was, dragging policemen behind him. Flynn had escaped out the nearest window, easily evading trouble.

Theo, however, wasn't that easy to get. He jumped over the back of the couch, trying to drag Andrianne with him to safety. When she refused to budge, he held off a few policemen.

"Get out!" He shouted to her.

"Not without Ben!" Andrianne cried.

Ben struggled against his captors. His green eyes looked desperate as they searched Andrianne's face. "You've gotta get out!" He yelled as he was hauled up and out the door. "Andrianne, run!"

Time seemed to move in slow-motion. Andrianne finally tried to heed Ben's request, before she was grabbed and shoved against the wall. She grimaced once she made contact with it, and glanced over in time to see her lovable giant, Theo, clubbed in the face with a nightstick and saw him drop to the ground.

"Theo?!?" She cried. "Get off me! THEO!"

She struggled against a hand on her chin, forcing her face to the side. Finally submitting to its will, she looked for the first time into the cold eyes of her captor. His hair was already snow white, although there wasn't much of it. For some reason, she wasn't scared of him at all. In fact, she was furious. She could tell he was a slimy old man, and couldn't wait for the opportunity to let him have it. Her captor's smile disgusted her.

"You've been getting into a lot of bad things, haven't you, Miss DeMarco?" He sneered at her. He gestured to the policemen. "To the Refuge."

"The Refuge, sir?" One asked.

"Yes." He took on a sympathetic look. "This poor child was no doubt made to do all these horrible things against her own will. She shouldn't have to go to jail, but she still should be punished, just to insure that she won't do it again." His eyes flickered to Andrianne, and she could have sworn they had greed in them.

"Yes sir, Mr. Snyder."

Andrianne glared at the man named Snyder one last time before they hauled her out the door.


End file.
